Five Civic Leaders Honored at International Day of Friendship Open House at the Church of Scientology of Tampa

Top Quote For demonstrating the "Set a Good Example" precept from the Way to Happiness, five Tampa area civic leaders were honored with awards at the Church of Scientology of Tampa's open house in honor of the International Day of Friendship. End Quote
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (1888PressRelease) August 03, 2012 - The Church of Scientology of Tampa honored five civic leaders this past Friday for 'setting a good example' to the communities that they serve. The awards were presented in the Church's Chapel during a special open house in honor of the International Day of Friendship.

    The awardees were:

    Shannon Edge: Through the City of Tampa Neighborhood & Community Relations office, Shannon has for over 9 years been an invaluable asset to community, helping countless neighborhood associations to resolve their issues, assisting people to make valuable connections, and all the while documenting community events with many thousands of photos.

    Maria Asuncion Lopez: President of the Hispanic Alliance of Tampa Bay, which has the mission of gathering, coordinating and representing various associations legally established in the Tampa Bay area. This 501c3 organization is serving the community through education, leadership, culture and development. María Asunción has been a member of several organizations. She is founder and president of Voz y Acción de Puerto Rico, a non-profit organization which part of its mission is to improve the interaction of this community group with other communities. María is also leading the networking group LPNet-Latino Professionals Network, which concept is to serve the community through personal, professional, and cultural development.

    Sam Mobley: Mr. Mobley demonstrates the difference that one man can make to community. For example, when as president of his neighborhood association he won a $2,500 Hillsborough County neighborhood grant. He installed the benches himself, saving his association thousands of dollars. He leads anti-drug marches in East Tampa, and is constantly vigilant to report instances of drug dealing in his neighborhood to help keep everyone safe.

    Dr. Wallace Reyes: Dr. Reyes is the historian for Ybor City and through his tours of the historic buildings in the area helps to make visitors and residents aware of the heritage of Ybor City. He has helped educate church officials on the history of the Ybor Square buildings, including its historic artifacts, and since last March has toured over 1,400 people through the buildings.

    Pastor Essie Sims: At the Jackson Heights National Football League Youth Education Town, Pastor Sims has been instrumental in providing activities and opportunities for East Tampa youth, such as the East Tampa Have a Safe Summer events, midnight basketball, dances, skits and other activities to give the youth something to do. He is also Chairman of the East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership, which has the mission of transforming East Tampa into a neighborhood of vibrant residential, commercial, social and cultural life.

    Also featured at the Open House was the Way to Happiness, a non-religious moral code based on common sense that was written by Scientology Founder, L. Ron Hubbard in 1982. The Way to Happiness is made up of 21 different precepts, including "Love and Help Children" and "Set a Good Example". The Church's Public Information Center was changed over to showcase these precepts along with the Public Service Announcements that cover each of the points and excerpts from the Way to Happiness film.

    In the three decades since L. Ron Hubbard authored The Way to Happiness, the booklet has been translated into 94 languages, with over 87 million copies passed hand-to-hand, across 174 nations. Its broad distribution includes former hot spots such as Columbia, where, after the distribution of 3 million copies of the booklet by 20,000 policemen, has seen a 50% decrease in crime in the country.

    The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011, with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. It is celebrated with events and festivals all over the world. For more information, please go to www.un.org/en/events/friendshipday.

    For more information about the Way To Happiness, please go to www.thewaytohappiness.org.

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